Barbara Friedrich-Parsinski

 - Class of 1967

Javelin

Presenter - Jack Ford

A gifted athlete in high school Barbara found herself a victim of circumstance.  Manasquan had abandoned varsity girls' sports in 1937, leaving Barbara without the opportunity to throw the javelin in interscholastic competition.   Under the guidance of Coach George Bower, she was allowed to throw with the boys in several meets at the beginning of what would become a story-book career.

In 1967, Barbara won the Asbury Park Press sponsored NJ State Girls' Championships with a throw of 177' however, it was one throw at the Long Branch Invitational Meet of Champions that would earn her recognition as a world class athlete.  With a distance of 198'8" she set the meet, conference, county, state, national and world outdoor high school javelin records.

That year she would go on to become the AAU District and Regional Champion, and win a gold medal in the Pan-American Games.  The following year she would win the USATF Meet and the US Olympic Trials, earning her a spot on the 1968 US Olympic Team in Mexico City.

In addition, Friedrich represented the United States in international meets, placing first against Romania, England and China, and set an Australian All-Women's record in a meet held there. In 1967, she was the second-ranked javelin thrower in the world.

A fixture at local track meets, Barbara was also a 1981 inductee to the Kean University Athletic Hall of Fame.